MOSCOW, March 12. /TASS/. The West is preparing a scenario of information attack on the Russian coronavirus vaccine Sputnik V by faking mass deaths allegedly caused by its use, a high-ranking Kremlin source told TASS on Friday.

"A scenario of information attack on Sputnik V is being prepared through controlled non-governmental organizations (the US Agency for International Development, Soros’ foundation, Thomson Reuters Foundation) and media structures (BBC, Reuters, Internews). [The attack] aims to substantiate the promoted theses about ‘the vaccine’s inefficiency and danger’ by faking mass deaths allegedly caused by the use of the medicine," he said.

On February 2, The Lancet, a medical journal, published the results of phase three clinical trials of the Russian vaccine, which proved to be among the world’s safest and most efficient. Its efficacy is estimated at 91.6% and 91.8% among volunteers aged over 60. After being vaccinated with Sputnik V, 98% of volunteers developed COVID-19 antibodies.

Information attack scheme

According to the source, the attack is planned against the backdrop of growing global demand for the Russian vaccine.

"The United States and its allies, according to our intelligence agencies, have plans to launch a large-scale information campaign aimed at shaping a biased attitude to domestic scientific developments in the field of combatting the spread of coronavirus infection COVID-19," the source stressed.

He noted that the US and its allies were simultaneously planning to circulate "the materials exposing" the incompetence of Russian specialists in the field of vaccination and immunology.

The source pointed out that the European countries that have authorized the emergency use of Sputnik V had been picked out as the target audience for the anti-Russian information campaign. Among them are Hungary, Slovakia, Serbia, Montenegro, San Marino and Northern Macedonia.

"The recognition of our vaccine by those countries has already triggered a surge in anti-Russian propaganda in the West. In particular, the Dutch media are presenting our Sputnik V not as a remedy for COVID-19, but as ‘a Kremlin lever to split the European Union’ and as ‘Moscow’s propaganda tool.’ As an example, they refer to Hungary that ‘has succumbed to Russia’s tricks’ and started vaccinating its citizens with our vaccine without agreeing it with Brussels," the source told TASS.

In November 2020, Hungary became the first EU country where Sputnik V samples were delivered for studies. In February, the Hungarian health authorities finally gave the green light to the Russian vaccine, rolling out its use in the country.

The source told TASS that the US steps to discredit the Russian vaccine were attempts to denigrate the contribution Russian science had made to global efforts against the coronavirus pandemic.

"Those steps of the United States and allies demonstrate their attempts to belittle the Russian science’s contribution to the global fight against the spread of COVID-19, undermine the world community’s confidence in our scientific developments and prevent their authorization by the World Health Organization, as well as to reduce foreign demand for Sputnik V vaccine, which ranks second among the countries that have approved [its use]."

Blackmail as an engine of commerce

The source highlighted the fact that "the US is engaged in an unprecedentedly aggressive policy of promotion for its Pfizer vaccine, seeking not only to waive all monetary compensation in case of side effects, but all the monetary responsibility for the producer’s negligence, including manufacture defect and storage conditions violation (70 degrees below zero)."

The source shared the results of a probe conducted by the UK’s Bureau of Investigative Journalism that informed about the US’ additional demands to Argentina, which had already consented to those onerous terms.

"Argentina initially agreed to these exploitative terms, but the US later rolled out new demands to provide sovereign guarantees of coverage of expenses, using state assets, including federal bank reserves, diplomatic mission buildings and even military bases as collateral," the source said.

After that, Buenos Aires refused to sign the contract, branding the US tactic “ransom" and "high-level bullying," the source said.